Chapter 73
Chapter 73
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 73
Chapter Title: Dragon vs. Hero: A Predictable Battle (3)
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"Whoa, so this is the port city of 'Meriel'?"
Five days further south from Hasler.
This was Meriel, the empire's largest port city, bustling with trade from the southern Forest Continent and neighboring countries.
It would normally take over a week at a regular pace, but with veteran adventurers or a party of heroes boasting exceptional physical prowess, they arrived much faster than most.
The crowds rivaled the capital's, and there were even more demihumans than in Hasler.
It was a strangely heterogeneous yet fascinating sight.
"Come on, come on! Potions straight from the south!"
"Swords crafted by master potters from our kingdom!"
"Hey, take a look at this before you go!"
Passing through the noisy square, they reached the harbor.
"The ship is prepared over there."
Following Emi's guidance, they headed to one side of the port.
"A beastkin ship, huh? I'm looking forward to it."
"Yeah, me too. First time for a beastkin vessel. First time for the Forest Continent as well."
Even Scarlett, an S-rank adventurer who had roamed the entire continent, had never been to the Forest Continent.
To reach the nations there required complicated procedures.
Above all, they weren't particularly friendly to humans, so permits were rarely granted.
This mission was a special exception.
"You've arrived, Emi!"
"I brought them. The free-spirited heroes and their friends."
It wasn't enormous, but the sturdy wooden vessel could easily carry fifty people.
A massive lion's head adorned the prow, and the sails depicted a lion with a mane blazing like the sun.
Surrounding it were lionkin like Emi and beastkin from other tribes, waiting together.
"Humans... we count on you."
"Can't trust humans. But no choice this time."
Most of the beastkin wore dissatisfied expressions.
They clearly disliked humans, unhappy about involving them in Bastia's affairs.
"Humans are selfish."
"They'll surely demand more money."
On top of that, they'd been rejected by human nations despite swallowing their pride to ask.
No wonder they felt bitter.
But there was no helping it.
These were the only ones who could help them now.
"These humans are good humans. Don't say anything."
Emi, who had built some rapport with them on the trip from Hasler, scolded the visibly grumpy beastkin.
"...They really do hate humans, huh."
"That's normal, right?"
"...I got the wrong idea because of Emi. That's the standard attitude."
Thinking back, Emi had never shown hostility toward humans from the start.
She'd been the one to first suggest asking human nations for help when the Forest Continent countries refused.
"I don't hate humans. There are good humans and bad humans. Same for beastkin. There are bad beastkin too."
No one knew what the late-teen beastkin girl had been through, but she didn't differentiate between beastkin and humans.
She simply believed there were good and bad individuals regardless of race.
"You all are good humans."
"Ahem."
"Haha."
The party members felt a bit embarrassed hearing it stated so bluntly.
"So, are we setting off now?"
As the beastkin began packing upon the party's arrival with Emi, Jenny asked.
"...Not yet. More are coming."
"More people?"
Emi nodded at Jenny's puzzled question.
"Not just me. Others I asked while going around."
As she spoke, a voice called from behind.
"Oh! Emi, you got here first?"
Unlike Emi and the other beastkin, this one spoke the common tongue fluently.
Instead of Emi's golden lion mane, he had calm silver hair and pointed ears.
A wolf beastkin, a ronin wolfkin male.
And behind him stood a young man in unusual attire.
"Hickle, huh. You brought help too?"
"Yeah. Let's introduce ourselves."
The ronin wolfkin named Hickle gestured to the person behind him.
"Jin, hero from the Trasson Free State."
"Pleased to meet you. I'm Jin."
The young man named Jin bowed politely.
He had crescent-shaped eyes with a slight smile and neatly combed navy-blue hair.
But his clothing was quite distinctive.
A subtle gray silk robe that flared slightly at the hem.
And his sword was a curved blade with tassels dangling from the hilt.
It resembled the attire and weapons from the secluded nation of 'Mu' at the continent's far edge.
Yet he hailed from the Trasson Free State.
A small city-state to the east of the Karr Empire, proclaiming freedom without a ruler.
He must have acquired Mu-style clothes and weapons that flowed into Trasson.
Or perhaps he came from Mu and settled there.
Either way, he was a comrade for the battle in Bastia.
Jenny saw no need to probe like scouting an enemy, so she stopped her scan and bowed in greeting.
"Ah, nice to meet you. I'm Jenny Harkur. I adventure in a city... in the Karr Empire."
She nearly said she was a hero of the Karr Empire without thinking.
"I'm Scarlett! Nice to meet ya! Cool outfit."
"Hello."
After rough introductions with the group,
Jin glanced at Jenny and smiled faintly.
"Jenny Harkur. To think I'd meet the famous hero in person. It's an honor."
"Ah, yeah..."
He smiled warmly, yet she felt an inexplicable chill.
Dressed in the veiled 'Mu' style.
Affiliated with the unusual freedom-proclaiming nation of Trasson.
For some reason, he gave off a strange vibe.
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While Jenny's group was on the move, Kane was equally busy.
"So, at this point, the body's movement... muscle usage... during conditioning..."
He had been visiting Hasler's library for days, rereading dozens of books over and over.
"...That guy's at it again."
The librarian shook her head in exasperation.
"How does he cycle through dozens of books five times over?"
She loved reading books herself—that's why she became a librarian—but not with that kind of frenzy.
And he wasn't just reading.
He mulled over the content repeatedly, reorganized it in his mind,
fused it with other knowledge, refined it,
and jotted down the new structured insights to create fresh references.
'Can you even call that 'reading' a book?'
No, it wasn't reading.
It was devouring the books' contents whole with madness.
Others marveled at Kane's vast, profound knowledge, asking how he achieved it.
The librarian could answer proudly.
"Do that for about twenty years, and anyone could."
Of course, no one could sustain that for even a day, let alone twenty years.
That's why Kane's breadth and depth of knowledge were so impressive.
"Is Instructor Kane here?"
As the librarian felt a mix of awe and fatigue, a visitor arrived.
He was a solidly built man in his mid-twenties.
His name was Soma.
A renowned A-rank adventurer in Hasler.
An exceptional fighter who had advanced to the main rounds of the empire's martial arts tournament, open even to heroes.
"Ah, already that time? One moment."
The librarian approached Kane, who was scanning books with manic intensity, as if it were routine.
"Mr. Kane, Soma's here. Time for practical training."
"...Huh? Oh, yes. Already?"
At her words, Kane finally looked up from his book with a smile.
He neatly reshelved it, grabbed a paper densely packed with notes, and left.
"Ah, sorry. Did I keep you waiting?"
"No, Instructor Kane. I can wait an hour for you."
As Kane and Soma exited the library and walked away,
the librarian clicked her tongue once more at the sight.
"...And then practical training on top of that. He's a total madman."
Effort?
Some might call it remarkable diligence.
But this was beyond ordinary effort.
"At that level, his eyes have gone crazy."
Madness.
The product of insane obsession with new knowledge and realizing it.
'Lucky he didn't get into magic or experiments.'
If someone with Kane's fixation and mania turned to black magic or human experimentation...
'...He'd basically become a world-destroying demon king, right?'
The mere thought was horrifying.
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"Huff...! Huff...!"
"Impressive. To grow this much in just a week."
A-rank adventurer Soma stuck out his tongue watching Kane throw punches before him.
'Amazing. Who'd believe this guy was a complete novice in martial arts a week ago?'
If it were pure talent, it'd be phenomenal.
But Soma knew better.
This wasn't mere talent.
'Perfect movements born from rigorously calculated theory. That's accelerating his learning curve insanely.'
Movements derived from theories refined through sleepless nights.
Soma had witnessed it firsthand.
Notes reorganizing dozens of sources himself.
A quick glance showed they surpassed any martial arts manual he'd seen.
From handling the human body, to applications,
how to move in each situation,
effects based on attack methods and strike points, and more.
It was the ultimate foundational guide for all martial arts.
Anyone learning fighting styles would be recommended to study it first, regardless.
Internalizing and executing that mentally guaranteed rapid growth.
'When I glimpsed his dagger skills, I thought it was just insane talent.'
Knowing the process made it even more impressive.
No one in the world, not even natural fighting prodigies, could match this.
'And his body... it's incomparable to a week ago.'
Muscles firmer, stamina skyrocketed.
He used to collapse after training.
Now, just heavy breathing.
'No wonder constant exercise like that builds the body instead of breaking it.'
Consider the hours of movement.
Soma, an active adventurer, felt Kane's workload exceeded his own.
'With some real combat experience, he might reach my level soon...?'
Body improving, fundamentals stacking.
Gaining personal techniques against monsters or humans later,
he could match Soma's skill.
'Plus dagger skills...'
Daggers and fisticuffs synergized in close combat.
Each covered the other's weaknesses.
Once he fully mastered martial arts, Kane might surpass Soma.
'Kinda jealous.'
Not just daggers and fists.
With this method, Kane could acquire endless skills.
Infinite growth.
Something befitting a hero.
Yet Kane, an ordinary human with nothing special, forged it himself.
True 'innovation'.
Was unfolding in his body.